Ten families from Vuniniudrovu Village in Calia, Naitasiri have begun relocating to higher ground after years of living with persistent flooding and waterlogged homes, a move formally launched by Minister for Environment and Climate Change Lynda Tabuya on March 16, 2026.
Turaga ni koro Apete Vodivodi told officials the relocation was overdue, warning that worsening climate impacts and soil erosion along the Waimanu River now pose an acute danger to the community. “The Waimanu surrounds the village, and we fear that the excessive erosion that occurs every time it rains may redirect the river, disrupting our water supply,” he said, adding that heavy rain is the village’s cue to seek higher ground. Vodivodi also raised concern that if the river shifts it could strand the Waimanu Pump—sited opposite the village tip—and cut water to both Vuniniudrovu and the wider Waila area.
Tabuya said Vuniniudrovu was selected for immediate action because it lies in a declared “red zone” of hazard. “Here at Vuniniudrovu village, they have the river that wraps around the village, and so when it floods from both areas, they have nowhere to go,” she told those gathered for the inauguration. The minister framed the move as part of a broader push to relocate communities that face repeated, life-threatening climate risks.
Vuniniudrovu is one of three high-risk communities singled out by the Government for urgent relocation under its climate adaptation programme. The initiative is supported by the Global Climate Finance Facility, which the Government says will help ensure the moves provide long-term safety for families and demonstrate Fiji’s commitment to proactive adaptation measures. Officials did not provide timelines for completion of new settlement infrastructure or disclose the locations to which the families will move.
Residents described years of anxiety and disruption from recurrent floods and saturated homes that have undermined living conditions and basic services. Vodivodi’s account underscores a practical threat: erosion that could alter the river’s course and sever access to the village’s public water pump, compounding the already frequent need to evacuate during heavy rain.
The Vuniniudrovu relocation represents the latest development in the Government’s efforts to manage climate-driven displacement in low-lying and erosion-prone communities. While details on the full rollout for the other two selected communities were not announced at the inauguration, officials emphasised that donor-backed financing aims to shift response from emergency evacuations toward planned, permanent moves designed to reduce future loss and disruption.
For the ten families leaving Vuniniudrovu, the relocation marks an end to repetitive emergency moves and a step toward more secure living conditions. For government planners and climate fund partners, it is being presented as a test case for scaling up relocations for other “red zone” villages across Fiji facing similar threats from rising seas, changing rainfall patterns and riverine erosion.
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